Don't Leave Me
by LightofaNewDawn
Summary: After seven more years in crystal stasis, the solitary soldier awakes again. Yet she awakens to a world devoid of her past and identity. In the world that has grown in her absence, Lightning discovers all that has changed...including a certain young man.


**A/N: **I usually don't do pairings, but after talking to my new friend _LightningisBadass_, I decided to try a mammoth one-shot of Hope x Lightning. I'm not a fluffy person, so I hope I did okay. (Honestly, it's hard to imagine them as pair when you see Hope a head shorter than Lightning in the game…but oh well xD I love both characters nonetheless.) Oh, hope you like it, LIBA =)

And I have to HUGELY thank those of you who read _From l'Cie to Goddess_. You really made me feel welcome to the fanfic community =)

By the way, if this seems rushed...well, midnight is late for me xD

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Square Enix or Final Fantasy XIII

All she remembered was a bright light, and a mass of unidentified faces, joined together by a distinct feeling of familiarity.

She woke up to the steady _bleep…bleep…bleep_ of her own heart, for a few brief instances of monotony. Her eyes gathered the bleak white walls, nose wrinkling at the rancid odor of disinfectant that she knew all too well. It wasn't much to go on, but she could certainly discern a hospital from a house when she saw one. Her eyes widened within their cavities. And this was, by far, a hospital. Not a home.

_Bleepbleepbleepbleepbleep…_

As she regained consciousness, she suddenly got the most violent urge to propel out of bed and draw her gunblade. But reminding herself she was in a hospital, she forced herself to relieve the strain and relax.

_Bleep…bleep…bleep…_

As her mind eased, a distant and hazy thought suddenly rang out.

_I have a gunblade?_

Where did that thought come from? She looked down at the IV feeding clear liquid into her arm, then around the simple white room. Light shone in through the window, making the dust all the more obvious as it danced through the air. The room became nauseatingly bright. She enjoyed a few peaceful moments as she gazed at the sunshine, feeling an indirect sense of comfort as she watched it graze the felt like she should be getting memories of what happened before she ended up here.

But nothing came to mind.

_Who am I? _She tried to dig through her mind, hoping to find at least a name there. Yet it seemed the more she tried, the less of an answer she gained and the more of a headache she received. Closing her eyes in a tight shut, she waited for a glimpse of something, a clue hinting to what her past consisted of.

Nothing. No name, no past to speak of. She had lost her memory.

A creaking sound pierced the dead silence of the room as the door opened. A nurse stepped in, accompanied by a tall silver-haired man with green eyes, and a petite woman with pink hair. She felt an instant connection to this woman, as her azure eyes widened.

"Sis! You're okay!" She rushed up and enveloped her into a hug. The silver-haired man walked up, eyes twinkling.

"Light…you're finally awake," he whispered in awe. "For some time, I thought that you might not make it."

_Light…?_

_Is that my name?_

"Who…are you?" she asked, slowly pulling away from the woman.

Her blue eyes widened in dread, the joy draining out of them as fear took over. "Oh, no…"

The man turned to the nurse, who was still at the door. "Does Lightning have…" He swallowed, before letting out the final word in a fearful whisper. "…amnesia?"

The nurse looked down at her clipboard, shifting uncomfortably. "We can't know for sure, sir…we've never had a case like this before."

Hospital regulations would make sure they didn't send anyone in her room without blood relation or atypical, personal connections to her. So there was no doubt in her mind that these two people were ones she knew...at least ones that this 'Lightning/Light' person knew. "Assuming this 'Lightning' is me, I'm fairly sure what I have could be qualified as amnesia." She paused, considering her words. "Unless either of you have a better explanation as to why I can't remember a damn thing."

A mirrored look of devastation crossed the faces of the two in question as they exchanged wary glances. Both turned to Lightning at the same time and shook their heads. Just as she thought...neither could tell her anything that would hold any remote importance to her.

The woman's eyes welled up with tears. "Don't you remember me, Sis? Your younger sister?"

Lightning frowned, trying to remember this unfamiliar face. '_Sis,' huh? _"You…you're my sister?"

"Serah! I'm Serah!" she cried out. "Please, can't you remember me?"

"…Serah." Lightning felt strange saying the name. Nostalgia and regret swelled inside her. She still didn't fully recognize the name. But if this was really her sister…

"How about me, Light?" The silver-haired man sat down on the edge of the bed, sparkling silver strands of hair floating over his piercing emerald eyes. "Can you remember me?"

Lightning furiously dug into her mind, searching feverishly for a perfectly chiseled face like his.

Something surfaced at that moment from the very pit of her mind, in a haze of nothingness. A flash of silver…a green scarf…

No. That was a boy…this tall, handsome young man at her side couldn't possibly be him.

But…those striking green emeralds were unmistakably strong in her mind, sparking a vague guess…

"…Hope?" Lightning whispered.

A wide smile slowly grew on the man's face. "You remember me," he said softly. "You still remember me."

Lightning stared up at Hope, taking in his matured face. It was only vaguely similar to the indistinct memory she had of the boy that lay buried deep in her heart. Hope was much younger in her memory, only a young teenager. This man was at least twenty.

"At least she remembers one of us," Serah said, smiling faintly underneath her tears. "Hey, Lightning, I have to go get Snow, Sazh, and everyone else. They'll want to see you!"

Lightning shifted, wondering if she should feel sorry that her sister was leaving so soon.

"Who are Snow and Sazh?" she asked.

"Oh…Snow's my husband, your brother-in-law. You used to _love _him," Serah explained, a sarcastic tone drowning her chuckle. "Sazh is a pilot – just a friend of yours."

Lightning forcefully pushed down the disappointment flooding her veins as her sister gave the briefest explanation of the people she was supposed to know.

_Like a children's bed-time story being read to an adult. _

She felt nothing. Less than nothing. The names stirred no memories, no feelings. Lightning was gone and in her place was this empty canvas waiting for paint to grace her surface.

"So…you're going to bring them?"

"Yeah, I won't take long! Unless Snow happens to be on the other side of town again," Serah muttered.

Lightning managed a weak smile. "Come back soon…Sis."

Serah's smile lit up the room, provoking a deep warmth in her heart. "Bye, Lightning. I'll see you later, okay?" With that, Serah and the nurse were gone. Lightning and Hope were left alone in the room.

Hope shifted uncomfortably. "Lightning…I suppose you don't remember what happened to you before you came here, right?"

"Nothing." Her gaze dropped from his glowing jewels to the bed sheets in gloom.

"Would you like for me to tell you the story?"

"Gladly."

He smiled wobbly, yet eagerly in response, stabilizing himself on the bed to face her whilst he recounted the events of her life; of _their _life. "Well, Light, you were once a Pulse l'Cie. Like Serah and I…" Hope began.

From there, the silver-haired man went on to recount the story of their adventure as l'Cie, defying their fate over and over again. The way Hope described their bond back during their ordeal was intense. Lightning could almost feel the tenderness in her heart, bursting with affection for him. Even if he was only a hazy memory in her mind, Lightning found herself thinking fondly of Hope.

Her blue gems were constantly wide as Hope described how graceful and dexterous she was in battle. She didn't know if she could believe it. She felt so clumsy in her hospital bed, listening to this man telling her a fairytale-like story like a young child. And his eyes…Lightning felt drawn by the green orbs, shining while their owner told the story of how _she _was so valiant and strong during their journey. She felt like those eyes used to lighten her heart and bring her an unexplainable joy. There was a strong trust between the two of them that had never wavered, even if it had been years since they had last seen each other.

Somehow the seeming bed-time story didn't prove to be as empty and disappointing as she had predicted it would be. Perhaps it was the way he recounted the past with such vigor. His anger, his sadness and ultimately his happiness. Hope recounted the events with such emotion, such enthusiasm that she felt as though she were reliving a life that she had once called her own. Perhaps it was just how detailed and unbelievable the story of her past was. And maybe...just maybe it was the man who delivered the story that was affecting her most.

By the time she realized the story was nearing its end, Lightning stiffened at her lax, unmasked expressions on her face. She had to focus on details.

_Details._

The only missing detail in his thrilling tale was how old everyone was.

"We managed to save the world, and prevent our old home Cocoon from crashing into the lower world, Gran Pulse," Hope said. "We were crystallized and sent down here, then awoken by Vanille and Fang. After coming out of crystal stasis and finding everyone from Cocoon okay, we were planning to start a new life."

None of this was in Lightning's memory, but she slowly nodded for Hope to go on.

"Then…you disappeared." His voice was strained as he continued. "Everyone was so worried…but we found you a little later. You were a crystal again. You stayed that way for the past seven years…"

_Seven years as a crystal? Is that even possible? _Lightning searched Hope's emerald eyes to see if he was bluffing, but they told her that he was telling the solid truth.

"Yes…technically, you are twenty-one. But chronologically, you are now twenty-eight. Being in suspended animation sort of preserves your age, though," Hope explained. "So we'd say you're still twenty-one."

"So tell me, Hope…you sound like you were a very juvenile person back in the l'Cie days," Lightning said, hoping she wouldn't offend him. "How old were you then?"

"…Fourteen. Did I forget to mention that?"

Lightning stared at Hope again, this time in awe.

"Yeah…I'm twenty-one now too, like you." Hope gave a nervous chuckle. "It's kind of strange, being as old as you. You'd been the older sister I never had, watching out for me all the time. Now look – we're the same age."

Lightning looked down at her hands, not sure what to think. That meant her younger sister was now older. And this boy, who had caught up with her…

"Hope, how is everyone now?" Lightning asked. "My sister, Snow, Sazh, you…"

"Well, let's see…Serah married Snow seven years ago, and now they have a three-year old daughter named Claire. After you."

"I thought my name was Lightning. Isn't it?"

"Don't you remember? I told you that you explained to me that you changed your name to Lightning, to stay strong and watch out for Serah."

"Oh…" It was an odd feeling to be learning about herself.

"Anyway, so the three of them live in Oerba now, actually. Helping the others fix up the place. Serah's a school teacher now like she wanted to be, and Snow's founded the Oerban Repair Efforts. ORE works to restore Oerba, as Vanille and Fang had wanted."

"That sounds nice…" Lightning envisioned the tall blonde man in the trench coat, as Hope had described him. It really did sound like him to do something so selfless, in attempt to be a "hero."

"How about Sazh?" she asked. "And Dajh?"

"Sazh is now working with PAS, the Pulsian Aviator's Society," Hope said. "He's helping to fly cargo all over Pulse, since most supplies are manufactured here in New Bodhum. Dajh is thirteen now, still going to New Bodhum Intermediate. Sadly, I only see them as often as everyone else."

"And what about you, Hope?" Lightning asked. "How are you and your dad?"

"My dad's working for ORE too, living in Oerba. I'm staying here in New Bodhum, studying in New Bodhum University. I'm planning to become a part of this research team called the Academy," Hope said.

Lightning stared out the window, absorbing all this knowledge of her past life. So much had changed then…and without her memory, she'd have to start anew. She felt the slightest inkling that she should be worried...but in truth: she wasn't.

"Hope. What do you think I should do after I leave this place?" Lightning asked, watching a flock of birds rush past the window. "What should I do with myself?"

She felt the silver-haired man shift carefully next to her. "Serah said she wanted to take you to Oerba to stay with her and Snow. Then you could join ORE and work with them there."

For some reason, Lightning was unsatisfied by Serah's plans for her. She wasn't exactly sure, but she was thinking about New Bodhum…"What do _you _think I should do?" she questioned suddenly, turning her head to face Hope again.

She watched him blush a slight pink as he turned away in embarrassment. "Honestly…I'd like you to stay here in New Bodhum. Close to me. I don't want you to live so far away." He turned his head again to face Lightning, his deep gaze bringing slight heat to her cheeks. "I want to be near you, now that you're finally out of crystal stasis."

Lightning could not believe what she just heard. Warmth tingled in her heart, a mix of emotions churning around in her head. Hope really cared for her. He wasn't just telling a fairytale. Their journey was real. The friendship they established was real. She could just tell by losing herself in his warm voice and mesmerizing emeralds.

"Stay here with you?" she inquired.

Cheeks still reddening, he nodded. A soft smile. "We made a promise, Light. You said you'd keep me safe, and you did. Then I said I'd watch out for you too. But I never kept my end of the deal. I want to hold onto you and never let go. After losing so much…I don't want you to slip through my fingers all over again."

Lightning looked up, meeting with Hope's emerald gaze. His face was flushed, eyes shining with pleading and…something else. Something else she just couldn't place. Was it…love?

"Are you sure? You think that's what I should do?" Lightning asked, more determined than ever to hear his answer.

"I'll take care of you, Light. Until you find out what you're going to do for a living, I'll let you live with me," Hope declared. "Find a job, move out into a different building, I don't care. Just don't leave New Bodhum, and…" He hesitated before finishing his words. "Don't leave me."

She considered his plea. Leave the only family she had left and live with a college student? That was the dumbest choice she had. Lightning should've flat out rejected his offer.

Only to realize that deep inside, she wanted that more than anything else in the world.


End file.
